A local civil-rights attorney is threatening to garnishee the wages of Salt Lake County commissioners unless they pay him $5,500.
Brian Barnard, a nemesis to local government officials, said Monday he only wants what he has coming. U.S. Magistrate Ronald Boyce recently ruled the county owed Barnard the money for his work in representing Community Shares, a non-profit group similar to the United Way, against the county.Last year, county officials voted to deny Community Shares access to county employees. Those same officials voted to allow the United Way to solicit payroll-deducted contributions.
Community Shares hired Barnard, who pressured the county, saying it was being unfair. The county reversed itself, deciding to allow Community Shares and any other group to solicit county employees, provided they met a set of standards.
But even though he won, Barnard still wanted to be paid for his services. Originally, he wanted $175 an hour and said he had kept a log of all his work, including phone calls made to county attorneys.
Boyce agreed with Barnard but lowered the hourly rate to $125, making the total $5,500.
County commissioners Randy Horiuchi and Jim Bradley said Monday they are considering whether to appeal the order. That made Barnard bristle. He said he may have no choice but to try garnisheeing the commissioners' wages.
"Bradley and Horiuchi can get away with stalling and playing political games with some people, but I chose not to go along," Barnard said. "That money is owed to me."
Barnard claims the county could have avoided any cost by settling with Community Shares before the group felt it was forced to hire an attorney. He earlier said he was charging the county to teach officials a lesson.
"The only thing the county will get out of an appeal is a bill for even more attorney fees," he said.